The Tribal Tattoo
by Quirky Rikku
Summary: The story of Nanaki. How he got his scar, his tatoos, how Hojo caught him, how his mother died, all eventually revealed!
1. Intro

**Notes: Nanaki's mother, Kichie, got her name taken from a book called White Fang by Jack London. The game does not reveal her name, only his father.  
  
Also, the text BETWEEN the *****'s is of Nanaki reflecting in the present (because various attempts failed for me to make it itallic), before the battle with the Undead Gi Tribe Cheif (remember Buganheggan opening up the sealed door?)...eventually the story will lead up to him killing it and finding out about what really happened to his father. But before that, he will recall memories about, say, his "crush" and how he watched his mother die..among other memories :)  
  
**Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish, Final Fantasy does not belong to me. though, Zerecks is one of my names......  
  
Hundreds of arrows rained onto the canyon.  
  
A young cub sinks under a rock, frightened, trembling. He did not know what he should do. He had hid there, because his cave where he lived became infested with monsters and warriors of the Gi tribe.  
  
"Nanaki!" He heard a familiar voice call to him.  
  
A number of undead warriors scatter from in front of the rock of which Nanaki was hiding. A large, red beast emerged from behind the warriors. She had a headdress with bright red-tipped feathers protruding from her head. Her thick red mane was tied back with braids, held together by golden beads. She had a few tribal style tattoos on her shoulders, and a few scar marks on her back. She let out a fierce roar, and extended her claws, which were as sharp as knives. Her slender, leopard-like stance and motion was an advantage against the warriors. She had destroyed them all, swiftly and without getting herself injured. She was one of Cosmo Canyon's best warriors. Nanaki's mother, Kichie.  
  
Nanaki slowly crawled out from under the rock. He gleefully ran up to his battle scarred mother and licked her muzzle, glad that it was over, for now.  
  
"I will protect you, Nanaki." She had told him.  
  
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He reflected on his puppyhood, head over his paws. He did not want to tell Cloud or the others of it. Inside, he deeply missed his mother, and he would do anything to see her again. He had despised his father, for the coward that his mother had told him that he was. Why was it that his mother would always protect him, but his father had run away and never returned? He pondered this while the others were sleeping, Granpa hovering on the other side of the room, sleeping soundly. He soon drifted off and started to dream.  
  
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"Father, will you teach me to fight?" Nanaki asked the great Seto, looking him in his bright yellow eyes. "I have no time son, I must go." Seto turned and ran away, toward the foot of the canyon. He always had to fight. Seto was a very dark shade of red. He had a full headdress of blue-tipped feathers, and huge, powerful paws housing long and powerful claws. He had a very broad and strong, healthy frame, his neck covered in a thick red mane, brought out of his face by different colored beads. He had a multitude of brandings and battle tattoos. He was THE fiercest warrior in Cosmo Canyon, stopping at nothing to keep his son and mate out of danger. Kichie knew of this, but Nanaki would remain clueless.  
  
That night, Kichie and Nanaki had been dozing off inside of their cave, when Seto stealthily entered, his shadow following him on the cave walls. He had laid down beside his mate, licking her cheek. She awoke, and he signaled for her to meet him at the Battle Flame, the fire that would not be put out, until the war ends. She nodded and carefully left the cave, taking one last glance of Nanaki as she left.  
  
"Kichie, I must go. I have to guard the canyon from the cliff beyond the temple of the undead. Zerecks says that the tribe leader of the Gi will lead a full-fledged attack on the canyon at dawn. Take Nanaki far away from here, until the war is over. I do not want him harmed, understand me?" Seto grunted, baring his teeth at his mate. Nanaki's kind was very dominant, especially the males.  
  
Kichie nodded, bowing submissively at her love. She stood up, and Seto and Kichie rubbed necks, nuzzled noses, and licked each other for the very last time. A tear came to Kichie's eye, as she watched Seto run off into the light of the moon. She would miss her mate, of which she had been with for years.  
  
Before the sun came about, Kichie had swiftly ran back into the cave, and lay down, staring at her cub. Our cub. She thought, as she dozed off to sleep. She did no want Nanaki to know what truly happened that night, or else it would bring back too much pain. She would have to tell him a lie, a lie that she would also make herself believe.  
  
Seto did not come back, at the next sunset. Kichie had feared the worst, and the worst had happened. Her love had not returned. She dreaded what she would have to tell her beloved Nanaki, the next day.  
  
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hehe..a bit of suspense to end the first chapter, eh? Read and rate..I need to know what ya'll think of this idea! 


	2. The Battle

~Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you like this chapter better!! :D  
  
        As the sun rose and kissed the side of the canyon, Nanaki awoke. His mother has dosed off beside him, so he did not bother to wake her.  
  
        He stretched and shook his flame-red mane from his eyes. Such beautiful emerald eyes, eyes that hypnotized everyone with their beauty. He was such an elegant creature.  
  
He had assumed that the War had calmed, because he felt no sign of danger. The red beast yawned, and walked into the sunlight, Kichie's blue eyes silently following him. "Nanaki?" She yawned tiredly. He turned to face her, with a confused look on his face. She looked sad, what did she want? "I have some bad news, Nanaki" She stated, not looking into his eyes. "Your father...Seto.... He..." She couldn't finish...She dreaded every second of this. "He what?" Nanaki wondered aloud. "He...Ran away. I'm so sorry, Nanaki, but he is never coming back." She stared at the cave floor, a tear in her eye. "Are you telling me that my father, the great Seto, ran away?" Nanaki looked sort of angry. Kichie nodded softly. She seemed depressed. She WAS depressed. Seto really left to defend the canyon, so she and Nanaki would be safe. She wished that she could have told him the truth. Nanaki snorted and strutted angrily out of the cave, to organize his thoughts.  
  
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       Nanaki had trouble remembering what all had happened that faithful morning. Though, something had happened that he would never, ever forget. He regretted ever being angry with his mother, because his guilt constantly haunted him. However he still could not forgive his father. His father was actually the one he was mad at, but he took it out on her. He sure wished he hadn't. *******************************************************************************************  
  
        He had been ambushed. The chief of the Gi tribe had defeated Seto and the other warriors, and made his way across the canyon. Nanaki had never fought before, let alone fight for his life. He was pretty much pampered, being the only offspring of Seto and Kichie, the two fiercest warriors in the canyon. His position was of great respect, and yet, people feared him. Why didn't the Gi chief fear him? Had he no knowledge of his authority?  
  
        The beast had no time to think as the Gi leader swung his sharp hatchet at Nanaki. He yelped in pain as it sliced his shoulder blade. Nanaki retracted his small, sharp claws and swung his tiny paw at the warrior. The swing obviously at least caused the chief some pain because the warrior cried out and smacked the small cub, causing him to fall sideways onto the stone ground. He yelped in pain once more, caused by the blow, the fall, and the stinging pain of his shoulder. Pain is not something Nanaki was used to. Where was Kichie or Seto, when he needed them most?  
  
        With his small, weak body, he lunged at the warrior's leg, biting it with his baby teeth. It really didn't make a difference, but at least he tried. The Gi chief, who was groaning in pain, flung him about. Nanaki had locked his jaw on the leg, now digging his paws into the sides, holding on for dear life, growling with his undeveloped vocal chords. His growl wouldn't even scare a mouse away.  
  
        Suddenly, he was thrown off of the chief. He had become unconscious for a short moment. As he regained his vision he saw a big red blurry figure, tackling the warrior. He blinked and the blurry red figure became clear. He had seen golden beads shimmer in the morning sun. Kichie had come to save her only cub from his impending doom.  
  
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 Nanaki dreaded to think about what happened next. He accidentally whimpered out loud at the memory. He looked around the inn unsure. The next morning he would have to face the undead Gi chief that killed his mother and gave him his permanent scar. Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Granpa were still sleeping. He sighed. If he didn't face his fear of his memory, he would never get over it. ********************************************************************************************  
  
        Nanaki watched in horror as the warrior flung Kichie off of him, slashing her neck with his hatchet. She roared in pain, hitting the cold rock with a heavy thud. Nanaki's fur had bristled, and he let out a shrill battle cry, flinging his half-conscious self at the Gi chief. There was no way in hell that he was going to let his beloved mother die.  
  
        The warrior lunged his hatchet at Nanaki's face with ease, before the beast could even reach him. All Nanaki could see was read, still blurred from his lack of consciousness. He had gotten a pounding headache, and he felt as if his skull was ripped open, and his brains were pouring out.  
  
        He had fell near his mother, who was fighting to stand, for the sake of her beloved cub. The warrior had begun to laugh. Nanaki could faintly hear it, as he drifted to full unconsciousness.  
  
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        When he remembered the pain, he trembled. He pawed at his face, feeling the deep scar. As he thought of it, he started to feel it hurt again. He winced and quit thinking about it. A deeper hurt came to him suddenly, as he remembered his mother's bloody, lifeless body. The picture was forever engraved into his brain. *******************************************************************************************  
  
Am I dead? He thought to himself as he awoke. He opened his eyes. Only one of them opened, however. The other he guessed had been scarred shut. All he could see out of the scarred one was darkness. He had no idea what had happened while he was unconscious. He blinked so the surroundings would be clearer. The warrior had gone, but Kichie lay there, a river of crimson surrounding her. He couldn't think about her. First, his cowardly father had run away, and now his mother was dead, her soul becoming one with the Lifestream.  
  
        All of this, happening in such a short morning. He could not comprehend it. He had fought to save his mother, and his mother had fought to save him. It was a lose-lose situation either way. Kichie had failed in protecting him, costing her her life. Nanaki had failed to help her, costing him his mother. Ugh, his head hurt. Whimpering, he collapsed on the ground. He was so tired and weak, so weak that he could no longer stand. Maybe if he fell asleep, he would wake up from this nightmare.  
  
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Nanki jolted awake. He had had a nightmare. He remembered his dream, and he thought that maybe his mother was alive, and his father was still here, and the war had never started. He opened his eyes, hoping to see his mother and father cuddling together, sleeping peacefully. Instead, he saw half of the room, the other half darkness. He saw a huge gun arm hanging off of one of the beds onto the floor. So much for hope. Reality had hit him as he saw it. His mother was still dead, his father was still gone, and he still had only half of his vision. He sighed, and tried to drift of to sleep, the death of his mother still haunting his memory.  
  
He shivered. Reality had smacked him square in the jaw. Kaimana, his love, was also gone. That however, was just another sad memory. How he longed for her, to feel her silky light red fur against his rough dark fur. And her long, thickly braided mane blowing in the wind. She was so beautiful to him. Suddenly, his thoughts and memories were interrupted as he fought the urge to sleep.  
  
His eyes slowly closed, with the silhouette of his love etched behind his eyelids. She was all he could think about now, since the memories of his mother were now passed. He wouldn't forget her, but still…it brought him too much pain.  
  
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Kaimana is a Hawaiian word meaning "diamond" :) 


	3. Kaimana

~Just a bit of puppy love in this chappie (  
  
"Nanaki?"  
  
He heard a voice. "Kichie?" He breathed back. He was in so much pain, and he couldn't accept the fact that his mother was gone.  
  
"He is only dreaming, Kaimana. Let him rest. He'll come to his senses soon enough."  
He faintly felt paws running up and down his fuzzy chest gently. Was it Kichie, comforting her injured cub, or someone else? He was too weak to tell.  
  
Nanaki opened his working eye, realizing that the other one would not open anymore, sitting up weakly. What had happened this morning? Who was that guy floating beside him? Oh yeah. That was Bugenhaggen, Granpa....But, who was that mysterious female cub?  
  
The beast stared at her. Her fur was a very light hue of red, and her mane was a very soft brown. Her mane was thickly braided...dreadlocked rather, with strands of brightly colored ribbons and cloth intertwined in them. She had four purple-tipped feathers on her headdress. On her cheek was a tattoo of a star. It made her look very beautiful and exotic. Nanaki noticed that she did not have the marks of a warrior. Warriors had two earth-toned stripes of clay on their cheeks.  
  
The female smiled. "What are you staring at?" Nanaki could hear her voice. It wasn't the soft, reassuring voice of his mother. Instead, it was the beautiful sound of the wind. Whoever this new female was, Nanaki took a liking to her.  
  
He finally came to his senses, and found that even she was lost in his shining emerald eyes. Nanaki blinked. "Where am I?" He looked around. "Who are you?"  
  
The female giggled. "I am Kaimana. Remember the tribe leader, Zerecks? That's my dad." Zerecks! "Where's Seto? Where's Kichie?" Nanaki panicked.  
  
Kaimana put a reassuring paw on Nanaki's chin, making him look at her. "Nanaki.....Seto fled from the canyon, and your mother, she was killed this morning during your fight. I'm soo sorry!" She nuzzled his blood- matted neck.  
  
Surprised, he twitched his legs. There was something on one of them. A bandage... Under it he felt like he had a sunburn. The thing is, his kind doesn't get sunburns.  
  
"Ah, Nanaki, I forgot. As a symbol of your bravery this morning, I had one of the tribe artists to give you this," Buganheggan floated over and unwrapped Nanaki's leg. "It is a symbol. It resembles people dancing around the fire, which is you, Nanaki. Your fire red fur is like the Battle Flame, I see courage in you, and I know that you will make a difference in this Planet. I feel it."  
  
Nanaki had really forgotten what happened to him, or else he would have remembered getting the tattoo. Although he was glad for the fresh tattoo, his mind and eye were on Kaimana. She was the most beautiful of all creatures that he had ever seen.  
  
Kaimana giggled again and waved a hand in front of Nanaki's face. She smiled. Her pearly whites shined in Nanaki's eyes. Nanaki noticed the paw and jolted back to his senses once more.  
  
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Nanaki sighed happily. He had remembered every detail of her. He was deeply in love with that female. He wondered if she was still alive. He remembered that Hojo had said that Nanaki was the last of his kind, but when this whole thing is over, he would look for her. There was never a day when he didn't think about her. ************************************************************************  
  
After he recovered from his incident, he took a stroll with Kaimana, walking down the side of the canyon. "So, did you look up to Seto?" Kaimana asked, breaking the awkward, nervous silence.  
  
He had to think about it for a second. Did he really look up to a coward? No, he wasn't quite a coward. Nanaki knew him as a fierce warrior. Then, his beliefs were crushed when his mom broke the news of his disappearance. He sort of doubted what she said, but her mom was a poor liar, so he would have been able to tell. He didn't know what to say. "Well...I-I did look up to him. He was very strict to me, but he was raised during the harshest time of this long conflict. It went on for as long as I can remember. So, I don't blame him for being harsh. But, I'm proud of him. Though, I don't understand why he ran away. Kaimana nodded. "Yeah, my father ran off this morning. I heard him leave the den." Nanaki sighed and trotted closer to her. "Where did he go?" Nanaki asked. "Uhm, he said something about fighting. Pfft, figures. She rolled her beautiful eyes.  
  
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Nanaki remembered their conversation. He had wanted to hear her voice again. Talking to her made him feel like he could face anything. He vowed silently that he would protect her. Even though they had just met, he felt as if he had known her forever. He sighed. He failed at staying by her side when he was captured by Hojo. He remembered her eyes and her cry for him while she hid from the helicopter. Something he would never forget. ************************************************************************  
  
*15 years later*  
  
Nanaki is now thirty-five, and Kaimana is twenty-nine.  
  
Kaimana nuzzled Nanaki's strong neck. He had grown stronger over the years. He had been training to get stronger, to avenge his mother, and to protect his beloved. He had earned another tattoo on his foreleg. He got it from protecting his love, and almost killing himself in the process. Yup, he awoke with another tattoo.  
  
Kaimana sighed. "Nanaki..I hope you never leave me." She said romantically. He snuggled against her in their den. "Don't worry, I will always protect you. I will never leave your side." He licked her and shook his long mane. He now had two feathers in it, with blue tips.  
  
Nanaki and Kaimana had spent their remaining puppyhood lives together. Zerecks, they found, had gotten killed nine years before. Orphaned, Buganheggan took care of them both, as his children. They learned more about the Planet, and the Lifestream, and a young Cetra child that had been chosen to save the Planet. Buganheggan was told by the spirits that the young Cetra was just a newborn, but shall save the Planet from the evil Shin-Ra, that created Mako energy, polluting it.  
  
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Nanaki signed. Aerith, who had died, was that last Cetra. 'So much for saving the Planet.' He thought. ************************************************************************  
  
~Note: The tattoo buganheggan explained to nanaki is the one we always see on his back leg..the one that looks like a bunch of L's. I made up a meaning for them. ^.^ ~ the other tattoo..i couldn't make up a meaning for it, so I just told how he got it. 


	4. Capture

NOTE: they do not allow stars..but now, I can italisize! so thats what im gona do. the regular text is his past, the itallics is the present. (and the present is still the night before the gi nattak battle..no worries, next chapter will be what happened during and after!)   
  
_Nanaki remembered clearly what happened after all of that. He was forty five at the time..He and Kaimana did not have cubs, unfortunatly. Instead, they would act like children. Frolicking in the Cosmo Desert, fighting monsters, and finding materia. Nanaki loved this, until one day._.  
  
Kaimana trotted beside him "where are we going, Nanaki?" She asked, with a puzzled look on her face. "Oh I don't know..we'll just have to see!" he replied, winking his one eye at her. As they ran, she nudged him playfully and ran ahead. "I'll tell ya where we're going!" She yelled behind her, running towards the grasslands.  
  
Uh oh..The grasslands are where humans are! He pannicked as he ran to catch up to her. "Kaimana!!" He yelled as much as his tired breath could yell. He heard Kaimana growl and yelp from up ahead. Something, unsure of what, overpowered him. He felt himself gaining speed. Now, Kaimana was in the distance. He could see her lashing at 4 humans dressed in black, one dressed in white. He roared and leaped into the air, pouncing on one of the men in black. As he tore into the human's neck, he eyeballed Kaimana. As if she understood, she nodded and ran away, as fast as she could.  
  
He no longer had help.  
  
He tasted the warm blood as it flowed into his mouth. This is a taste he hungerd for, for so long. As soon as he had broken the neck of that human, another came with a huge branch, swinging at him. Nanaki lunged behind, kicking his back legs into a human behind him, after, he still managed to land on his feet with the grace of a cat.  
  
"No more!" The man in white commanded. The three remaining humans dropped their weapons and stood.   
  
Now, the human in white started pacing around Nanaki, the beast following his every move. "I have never seen a creature quite like this one." Nanaki growled at him. He did not want to speak. "I think that this will be of use to me. Reeve! Call Reno, tell him to find that Cetra!" The black long haired turk nodded and entered the helicopter,which wasnt too far away from where they were standing.   
  
"But professor Hojo! What will you do with the Cetra?" One of the men in black wondered. "Shut up, you fool!" Hojo commanded. "Rude! get me the net!" One of the men in black nodded and went to get it. Nanaki stood up and began to growl.   
  
After much struggle, Hojo had gotten Nanaki onto the hellicopter. As it lifted off, Kaimana ran out from behind some tall grass, whimpering Nanaki's name. Never would she see her love again.  
  
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Nanaki was thrown into some type of tank. "I'll find out what I'm going to do with you, later!" Hojo barked, slamming the door. For 3 years more, Nanaki would have to put up with countless experiments, humans big and small tapping on the glass, and...  
  
3 years later, when Nanaki was 48, Hojo had thrown a beautiful young woman into his tank. Frightened, she began to cry.  
  
Why would Hojo want a young woman? Nanaki had thought, looking at her with his good eye. "I will not hurt you." Nanaki had assured her. But, she would not speak, and she was still frightened. Nanaki decided to try again. "What might your name be, miss?" The woman looked up from her sobbing. "A...a-aerith.." She sputtered. Nanaki jumped up suddenly, frightening Aerith. "You...you're the last Cetra! Granpa told me all about you" he smiled dorkily. She giggled. "What are you?" "I am what you see." He stated. "Professor Hojo calls me Red XIII, but you may call me whatever you like." He did not want to reveal his real name.  
  
Later..there was tapping on the glass.  
  
Nanaki awoke, and Aerith had dissappeared. It was a black haired woman, with a white shirt and black shorts. "Hey!" She said, motioning for a blonde man to come. As they stared, Hojo had pushed a button in thr back of the room, lowering down the cage. "Ah! Miss Aerith, there you are!" Nanaki had said as a guard pushed her into the tank and pushed the button for it to go back up. "You seem happy" She snorted. "Well, you can't always be sad." he said.  
  
Later, the blonde haired man had broken the glass and got them both out. Nanaki introduced himself, but...they were caught and got locked up.   
  
NOTE: sorry this chappie is sloppy. i was in a hurry towards the end. 


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